Finally Home
by Talliya
Summary: There be pirates on Gaia. Come join in the booty and family problems!


**_I do not own any rights to Final Fantasy 7 or it's characters. This was done for a contest on dA._**

**_Pairings: Hojo/Lucrecia, Vincent/Cid, Sephiroth/Aerith, Cloud/Tifa_**

**_Rating: T ? PG-13? There is some cursing..._**

"Cap't! That damned cape 'as messed wit de flag again!" A crewman yelled up from the main deck to Captain Cid Highwind. "'E's taken the bloody thing down again!"

Cid listened with a stoic expression, "Capey-Cape!" He hollered out across the decks. "Crewman Capey-Cape!" The tattered red cloak floated down to twirl beside the Captain, it was holding the ships 'colors' in its folds. "Capey-Cape, ya need to put her back, we're enterin' contested waters. If ya don't want us to be attacked by Cap't Strife's gang of misfits or Cap't Crescent's crew you'd best be puttin' yer lover thar back. Though perhaps ye'd like Seph to poke a few more holes in ya?" The cape seemed to shudder and shake its 'head', "She needs ta be flyin' fer us to be identified as us y'know!" The cape seemed to sulk a little as it billowed back up to the top-sail and rehung the flag.

They sailed calmly past many other pirate vessels all through the afternoon and as the sun set they lit lanterns - to show other ships where they were as much as to fend off any creatures of water's night. They were more awake and on guard at night /because/ they could be seen. Most marauders would see their lights flickering and attack thinking them some pleasure cruise, not a care in the world for who they might really be until they boarded and were mercilessly cut down. Those who attacked the Valenwind became nothing more than fodder for sharks, fish and merfolk with pointy teeth.

Luck was with them apparently - as they spent a peaceful night. As the sun began to lighten the eastern edge of the sea the First Mate Vincent Valentine came out to take the wheel. His black hair was tousled and the wind was only making it worse, blowing the mats into his face. He diligently shoved them back until he reached the wheel – once he removed the wheel catch and was holding the ship steady with his own hands he no longer seemed bothered by having his hair in his face. He called for up anchor and every sailor within hearing was wide awake and doing their various duties and chores with a spring in their step. They all knew that they would make Wutai today, even with a head wind attempting to push them back. The rocky tip of the island was in sight to the north of them. However the wind was with them and Valentine called for full sail and guided them along the rocky coast of his homeland to the lagoon that was the home of the Valenwind.

The majestic ship was an honor to serve on and any pirate who had the honor recalled it with reverence, unless of course their tenure on board ended with them walking the plank or their death in the line of duty. If they died in the line of duty they were forever remembered by the remaining crew and the crew's to come – Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine never forgot a good man.

As they set anchor just off the shore in the unique part of Wutai that held a thrall over the Captain and his First Mate – a thrall that had gotten them started as a couple and as seafarers - a wave of giddiness set into the crew, they were going to get paid soon! Many took the time while putting the ship to rest to look out at the scenery: the deep pure blue shine of the briny ocean glassed out from across the grassy field that winked between the mountains from their current berth. The mountain's hid the ship well and the treacherous rocks kept most from ever finding the entrance to their ships bed.

The crew began unloading the booty from their run; there was quite a lot of it to move, much more than they'd initially planned on getting. Because of the extra boon gifted to them some of the new hands to the crew were nervous that they wouldn't all be given a fair share of the bounty. They were generally shushed by senior members or glared into submission by the Captain or the First Mate. No one was wise to call the owners of the Valenwind 'unfair'.

Once everything was off the ship the Third Mate/Gunner - a female with a mind sharper than any blade and faster than gunshot, who all on board called Lady Shera – rounded up all of the noobs and with the Bos'n's help, kept them corralled while the Captain, First Mate, Second Mate/Quartermaster and Capey-Cape checked the ship over for anything hidden and damages. The Quartermaster, who's name only the regular crew knew, came back with a frown on her face and her arms filled with Summon Materia. "Lady Shera, do you know who's bunk was on the third tier, Port side?"

A young man shifted nervously in the crowd catching the Quartermaster's eye. "Can't say that I do Princess. Is that where all of those summons came from?" The Second nodded.

"I could tell you Princess, I've got the bunk list right here." The Bos'n held his clipboard up.

"Oh good, thank-you Hojo." The man in the crowd seemed to get more and more agitated as the Second walked over to the Bos'n to check the list. So as Princess passed by Lady Shera she asked the woman to keep an eye on him, getting a nod in return.

As the Bos'n and the Second looked through the logs for the location Princess sought Capey-Cape came fluttering down to them in a state of distress. Its tattered ends spazzing as it flew circles around the group – no one seemed to pay it any mind however, the main crew knowing that only the Captain and the First Mate would be able to calm it down. The new crew members were simply annoyed by it and ignored the poor cape on principle.

A few minutes passed and the Cook, Lu, came over from tallying the haul, her smile dimming as she surveyed the scene before her. A few minutes more and the Captain came out with a giant hound beside him, a small boy caught in its teeth. The Captain was tossing another summon materia in the air and catching it casually, over and over as the boy raged, silently defiant within the maw of a creature only the main crew had ever laid eyes on before. They walked slowly down the rope ladder that was strung from the deck to the shore, finally coming to a stop at their tight gathering.

"I see ya found yerself some pretty reds as well Princess." Cid noted, "Anyone know this brat?" He gestured to the pouting child.

Princess looked to the overly nervous man, but he seemed as lost about the chocolate haired boy as the rest of them. Though the young man was watching the up and down movement as the Captain continued to toss the materia.

"Toss 'im in with the men for now Valentine." The monstrous canine flicked its giant head and tossed the boy into the crowd where he was caught and set upon the ground, hands remaining on his shoulders so he couldn't bolt. The corralled crew watched in fascinated horror as the hound turned into the First Mate. "Alright, before we deal with the materia and our stowaway I need damage reports!" Cid hollered.

Vincent went first, "The boy was hidden in a newly made hidey-hole that was not there when we left home port. There is also fire damage to the deck and a cannon hole just above water level – and therefore water – in the hold."

The Bos'n nodded, "I'd been wondering where the water was coming from."

Princess went next, "As First Mate Valentine has said there are scorch marks all across the decks and the Starboard side was badly marred from top to sea and bow to stern. Also these materia were in another new hidey-hole that wasn't there the last time we were at home port."

Cid nodded before turning to the panicked cape, "Capey-Cape! Stop freaking out and show us what's wrong."

The cape stilled and then shot straight to the Crow's Nest and fluttered there until Vincent met it there. Valentine shook his head at what he saw and threw a young girl over his shoulder before climbing back down and over to them, keeping the unconscious girl cradled in his arms. Lady Shera noted that the nervous man paled when she was found. Capey-Cape fluttered next to the bow, swirling in the air before the figurehead and Princess handed her load of materia to Lady Shera and climbed out to it.

"Alright Capey, what's the deal?" The cape's tattered ends became directional arrows and Princess was pointed to a Huge Summon Materia lodged in their Dragon's mouth, then lower down cradled in the arms of the Mermaid the Dragon clutched was a Huge Magic Materia, to the Mermaid's left in the Dragon's other claw was a Huge Command Materia, around the other side the Dragon's tail seemed to twine around a Huge Independent Materia and the Mermaid's tail was apparently made to curve in support of a Huge Support Materia. "Where on Gaia did these come from?" The ninja was rather intrigued.

Bringing the materia back to the group Princess saw the nervous man finally attempt to bolt, only to be stopped the Cook, who for all her softness was as much a pirate as the rest of them. "And exactly where do you think you are going?" Lu's deadly sweet voice drifted on the breeze as she held a dagger to the man's throat.

"I... It was... I just..." The young man deflated and stood with his head bowed as Lu continued to hold him hostage.

The little boy glared at the young man, "You miserable git! You the one that kidnapped my sister? If she's hurt I'll kill you!" They were rather lucky that the boy was already being restrained, or he may have attacked the young man.

Vincent looked down at the girl and then back at the boy, "So this is your sister I take it?"

The boy nodded, "My name is Denzel Strife, she's technically Marlene Wallace... but we consider each other siblings anyway."

"Wait a damn minute! Yer Cap't Strife's kids?! How the bloody hell did you get on MY ship!" Cid was furious.

"Well, I snuck on... I saw that man," Denzel pointed to the young man being held hostage, "Pulling out those," Here he pointed to the Huge materia that Princess held, "From the box/hole thing that I ended up hiding in. I don't know if he's the one who took Marlene or not, but the materia are /so/ his fault."

"How did you manage to sneak on?" Lady Shera asked.

"Well when I discovered that Marlene was missing your ship was the only one in dock... so I got on the dingy and hid there for a while before I found a better hiding place." The boy answered, "Is, is she okay? I know she's only been on board a little longer than I have... but... she hasn't woke up yet." Denzel had tears starting in his blue eyes.

Hojo moved over to the girl in Vincent's arms and felt for the pulse in her wrist. "She'll be fine, it seems as though she was given a sleeping drug of some sort. She should wake up in another twenty-four hours or so, no worse for wear."

The boy sighed in relief and everyone's attention shifted to the young man still in Lu's clutches. "Well, what have you to say for yourself?"

Lucrecia and Hojo knew who the man was, and could figure out why he was there, though they'd hoped it wouldn't be like this and that they wouldn't have to feel despair over having children yet again. Holding the knife to her grandson's throat she asked again, "Well, what have you got to say for yourself Loz?"

"Loz? You know him Lu?" Princess asked.

"Yes we know him." Hojo sighed as he looked through the bunk log, "He's our grandson, well one of them anyway. His bunk was also the one you were looking for Princess."

"A'right then Loz, what's the deal?" Cid asked, his arms folded across his chest and a cigarette stuck to his lip.

Loz looked at his grandmother and upon seeing not sympathy there he then looked down at the ground. "My dad hired me to kidnap the little Ancient, he said mom just wanted to talk to her. Dr. Hollander gave me the sleeping tonic and I had her drink it while we were in port at Corel. Me and my brothers made the hiding spots. And before you ask, no they're not here. They ghosted off after we finished making them. Uncle Rhapsodos wanted me to go on my voyage with you lot because you were headed to all the places he wanted me to pick up materia from." The silver haired man droned on about how he came to be there, how Marlene was stashed in the Crow's Nest without detection and how he wasn't told why Genesis wanted the materia.

"Why couldn't Rhapsodos get the materia hisself? 'E's Cap't Crescent's First Mate ain't 'e?" One of the crewmen asked.

"That he is, but they don't ply our ports. We have an agreement about certain places. And I'm guessin' it was those places that Gen wanted the red balls of fun from." Cid commented. "Well, exactly how were you gonna be gettin' all this stuff to yer uncle?"

Loz looked up with a weak smile, "I hadn't actually thought of that part yet, it's why I'd moved the big ones to other places..."

"Yer so dumb." Cid shook his head, "At any rate. Lu, you manage to tally everything up?"

"Yes Captain." She waved the clipboard in her other hand, her dagger still at her grandson's throat.

"Alright. This is how payment works on the Valenwind: We have all of it together, take out what is needed to repair and re-outfit the ship and then divvy up the rest. If ya don't like that idea, ya can leave with nothing but what ya came aboard with." Cid gave a hard look to all those assembled, but no one left, honestly the nervousness seemed to settle – as it usually did after the crew knew what was going on. "We be needing a new deck and ta fix up the starboard side as well as patch up that whole, what's that come out to?" He turned to Hojo.

Hojo did some quick calculations in his head and smiled, "Not all that much actually. Lu darling what was the total haul?"

Lucrecia looked down at her clipboard, "All together it comes out to nearly two million gil, without some of the artifacts being appraised, we could likely have more than that."

"Perfect, the repairs, well more the supplies for repairs and everything that we'll need for our next voyage, like fresh lines and more pitch and bullets and cannon balls and such only comes to around one thousand gil." Hojo adjusted his spectacles with a smile. A murmur went through the gathered crew at the sums, imagining how much they would get.

"A'right! Denzel was it? Ya wanna go to the bunks and grab a blanket and pillow fer yer sister and they them out in the grass o're thar?" Cid pointed to the waving meadow a few meters away. Denzel nodded and scampered up the rope ladder and came back with a thick blanket and a pillow clutched in his arms. Vincent walked with him over to the grass and laid Marlene down once the blanket was spread. The raven haired man moved over to the booty once the children were settled.

"Okay, so we'll take most of the actually gil for the repairs then, it'll be easier to divvy the rest to other people. So only around a thousand right Bos'n? Princess get over here and help me out will ya?" Vincent began counting gil.

Hojo nodded, "Yes and that's an over estimation." The Quartermaster walked over and began helping to count out one thousand gil. Once that was set aside they looked up to the Captain.

"Anyone who had claim to a specific item go get it." Vincent reached over and grabbed the ornate crown they'd found in the Temple of the Ancients and bolt of red satin from the pile. The cloth was his and the crown was Cid's. Princess grabbed a beautifully embroidered purple satin bag and the two blue materia she'd found on the beach near Bone Village. Lucrecia pulled out a dragon figurine made of rainbow glass and jade, while Hojo walked over and took out small chest that was filled with vials of strange substances. Lady Shera grabbed out a model for a unique aircraft that she had determined she and Highwind were going to make a reality when they got home. Loz looked at them all and reached for the ornate flute he'd found in the Forgotten Forest, and the rest of the crew grabbed anything they'd laid claim to. Any disputes were settled and the rest of the booty was put onto a hovercraft that had been christened The Highwind.

"Everything else will be appraised and then meted out tomorrow at the latest. So stick around town until then." Lady Shera stated dismissing the majority of the crew. The Crescent's grandson however she kept behind as Princess took The Highwind and the crew into town to the appraiser's. All of the materia that had been found aboard ship and the children stayed with the rest of the main crew.

"Time fer figurin' stuff out." Cid sat on the hood of his little steam powered car that was waiting to take the rest of them to town.

Vincent stood next to the gathered materia as a guard of sorts while Hojo and Lu flanked their grandson and Lady Shera went to get the children, lifting the unconscious girl as Denzel gathered the blanket and pillow back up and walked to the others beside her.

"So, we need to find a way to get these kids back home." Lady Shera started only to be interrupted.

"No! I have to get the girl to my mom! I have to! I can't fail!" Hojo smacked the lad in the head.

"Hush. Kidnapping is not something I will condone in this family." Hojo's voice was hard.

"But-." Loz began.

"No buts." Lu announced. "These children are being taken home and if Aerith wants to see the girl she can damn well go and visit her like a normal person!"

Loz hung his head in defeat, "I can still take the materia to Genesis though right?"

Cid looked to Vincent and Vincent nodded, they would keep the one that wound up in their room, the one Cid still held, and Loz could have the rest. "Yeah, ya can keep the materia."

"Now that that's all settled." Cid looked pointedly from one face to the next, "Let's get everyone to headquarters. We'll write a note to the Strife's about where they're kids are and another to the Crescent's about their own kid."

Everyone nodded and began loading up, Vincent and Hojo took off back into the Valenwind to temporarily plug the hole in the cargo bay, once they returned everyone headed into town.

Once back in town Lu and Hojo took Loz off with them to their house saying they'd get him and his materia all figured out. The rest of them went to 'base'. Once there they were met with Princess who had the great news that everything was already appraised and they had about a million more gil than they'd thought. So with a wide grin Cid went with her to the town square and handed out everyone's fair share. Lady Shera and Vincent got Marlene and Denzel settled and then Shera left for her own house, the main crew would get their portions of the booty later, after the actually hired help had been paid their due.

Vincent got out pen and paper and penned a letter to Captain Cloud Strife about his children's whereabouts and their condition, he figured Marlene being drugged wouldn't go over well, but he was nothing if not truthful. Loz's punishment could be hashed out between the Strife's and the Crescent's, the crew of the Valenwind wanted no part in it. Vincent had showered and was working on making himself a new cape from the fabric he'd gotten, Capey-Cape kept attempting to mess him up however - which Denzel seemed to find hilarious – by the time Cid and Princess came back.

"Vinny! I'ma make dinner okay?" Princess called through the house.

Forgetting that there were people in the house who didn't and shouldn't know the girl's true name Vincent answered, "Sure thing Yuf, just don't burn the place down again!" The fact that a noblewoman of Wutai was a pirate was a huge secret, the scandal would be huge, not that Yuffie cared all that much, but her father certainly would. The ninja simply giggled and began making noise in the kitchen.

Cid walked into the room and shoo'd Capey-Cape away as he leaned down and kissed his husband. "It's good ta be home."

"It is." Valentine answered, "I sent that weird contraption of yours to Strife with a letter. Denzel and Marlene should be picked up in the next couple of days. Shera went home by the way, so there won't be any hounding you about that new ship idea until tomorrow." Cid nodded.

A few days later Tifa rushed into their home and gathered her children close, thanked Vincent and Cid for taking care of them and took off with them. That same day Seph came and picked up Loz. The Valenwind wasn't attacked by either pirate gang again, they were too busy attacking each other.


End file.
